Around Dublin: City taking on larger election role

With the June primary election behind us, we can now look forward to a few months of not seeing political mailers, door-knocking and radio and TV ads, right? Sorry, but nope.

While there may be a respite, all the signs are pointing to very heated contests (read that as more political mudslinging and half-at-best-truths being strewed about your mailbox, airwaves and assorted town halls) come November.

What's interesting from a local perspective is that for the first time, there's a good chance that there will be Dubliners representing the area in Congress and the state Legislature.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell easily captured the most June primary votes for the area's Congressional race and looks to face off against Republican Hugh Bussell in the heavily Democratic District 15.

And in the race for Assembly in District 16, Dublin Democrat Mayor Tim Sbranti will face off against Dublin Republican Catharine Baker. Baker got the most votes, but Sbranti beat two other candidates who all split the Democratic vote.

"Ten years ago, you would never have seen three Dubliners in Congressional and statewide races," says Swalwell, who appears to be still riding high in the public's eye after defeating longtime U.S. Rep. Pete Stark two years ago.

"We never took it for granted. We had come too far and fought too hard for issues that we cared about," Swalwell told me from the airplane on the way back to Washington, D.C., after the election.

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In fact, Swalwell says he has been flying home virtually every weekend since he was elected in order to meet with local constituents and plans to continue to do so for the foreseeable future -- especially with November on the horizon and having fought off suggestions that he wasn't liberal enough to represent the area.

"Going after me for wanting to be a consensus builder is just a losing argument. It's a Democratic district, but even the Democrats here want me to work with Republicans to get something done in Washington."

Dublin precandidate Meeting: If all of this political talk has you itching to throw your hat into the election ring as a Dublin City Council member or the mayor, then plan on attending an information meeting at 6:30 p.m. June 19 in City Hall, 100 Civic Plaza. You'll learn the ins and outs of public service for our higher-profile city.

Performing Arts center: Wow. Beautiful.

That pretty much sums up the public reaction last week at the ribbon-cutting and community open house for the new Dublin High School Center for Performing Arts and Education.

The 506-seat theater is gorgeous and complete with state-of-the-art lighting, a high-end sound system, an orchestra pit, two catwalks, lots of space to produce and store scenery, a beautiful exterior facade and more. It clearly will rival most all of the community -- let alone high school — theaters in the Tri-Valley.

The classrooms connected to the theater include terrific space and features for instruction in drama, music, choir and video production. In other words, this is a far, far cry from the old facilities, which will soon all be a thing of the past when the Little Theater is demolished. And the new theater fits in extremely well with the rest of the classroom and facility construction.

"It doesn't matter where you live in Dublin, you go to a brand-new school," Mayor Sbranti told the audience of students, parents and residents.

The Center for Performing Arts and Education represents the 30th project from money allocated by the voter-approved Measure C. There are still a few things left to be done to the school, which has undergone an amazing transformation over the past four to five years.

"This (the new performing arts center) will shout louder and louder that DHS is one amazing high school," said a beaming Steve Hanke, the city's superintendent of schools.